I love love love my Keen McKenzies. The perfect compromise between a shoe and a sandal. Two Caminos later and not a single blister of any consequence...but they've finally reached the end of the road.
I went online and (of course) they've been discontinued--and I even contacted Keen to see if they could be fixed. Of course not.
Then I googled them but no-one seems to have them in stock anymore (at least not any sites where I feel comfortable shopping).
So if you see them in stock anywhere online or offline I'd love to know about it--please send me a PM...surely there are still some on the planet, somewhere.
Thanks!
I have had my Keen Targhee II mid-high boots resoled twice, after about 1,000 km of Camino use, by this firm:
http://www.resole.com/
They are located in Virginia. Send them an e-mail to ask specifically if they can resole your favorite shoes / sandals. My boots were not listed. But when I asked them directly by e-mail. They said yes, and gave me instructions on how to send them the worn boots. Easy, peasy... They charge your credit card.
They use factory Keen fixings (cobbler term for parts) and the same heat and adhesive-based process to apply the new soles. My Keen boot were returned in the US mail with factory-new soles, and a new insole, for about two-thirds of what of new pair of boots would cost. The resoled boots function like new.
However, the BEST thing is that the vamp, or upper is all broken in and I do not have to suffer through a break-in period. Yippee
After four Caminos and two resoling operations by this firm, I donated my still-in-good condition boots, with new insoles, at the Pilgrim House on Rua Nova in April this year. Someone will need them more than me, and they still have several hundred km left in them. Plus, it saved me space and weight returning home.
Actually, I have a brand new pair of the identical boots in the closet. Keen provided them, free of charge. After my first Camino in 2013, I wrote them complaining that their heels should last more than only about 1,000 km (620 miles +/-). I included actual photos of the worn through heel condition. After one complete
Camino Frances, the mid-layer fiber padding was coming through the heel material. They did not need to give me a new pair of boots, but they did. I am sold on Keen.
In addition to the Targhee mid-high boots, I also have a pair of Keen Arroyo II hiking shoes. They are ventilated like sandals, but have a full-heel counter. I need to use prescription orthotics on both feet, so the full-heel counter is better at holding the orthotics in place, as a shoe or boot might do. Plus, I am subject to developing serious callus on both heels. The fully closed-in heel also helps with this.
But these Keen shoes seem to be the best combination of sandal comfort and shoe stability, IMHO and for my personal needs. They are also machine washable. The point to be made about these hiking shoes / sandals, is that they appear to use the identical outer soles. So, when the time comes, I will seek resoling at the above firm if the upper / vamp is still useable.
If this source does not pan out for you, try a Google or Bing search for "hiking boot resoling."
I hope this helps.
